Film fair: European Union Film Festival 2013

This entire week, enthusiasts of Indie world cinema will get to watch 24 movies that come from various European countries, at the 19th European Union Film Festival 2013 which is being organised at the Galerie Max Mueller.

This entire week, enthusiasts of Indie world cinema will get to watch 24 movies that come from various European countries, at the 19th European Union Film Festival 2013 which is being organised at the Galerie Max Mueller.

The festival that began on April 21 has adopted the theme ‘Celebrating Women’ for this year’s event. Which is why, the films that are being showcased will tell women-centric stories that deal with topics like adolescence, abuse, family and motherhood.

"We want to present women in every possible way -- as women of wisdom, of beauty, of power, of myriad natures. We want to show them raising their voices with increasing persistence, demanding to be seen and heard," says Micheal Sibert, consun general, German Consulate, Mumbai, explaining the reason behind choosing this particular theme.

He adds, "Given the broad debate about women’s safety in India, which the tragic Delhi gang-rape case initiated, our theme can also be seen as food for thought."

Also, when you think of European cinema, you tend to think only of a few well-known industries. In this festival, there are films from countries like Cyprus, Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania and Greece, among others. That makes it a way of introducing Indian audiences to various film industries across Europe.

“All films shown will have English subtitles – so nobody has to fear not understanding the dialogue. In fact, the original languages bring with them the flavour of the country where the film has been produced,” says Sibert.